“Yes,” she replied without hesitation.
“We should eat quickly,” Drew told her, his voice rough with arousal. His desire for Talia was different from other women. There was no detached curiosity. What he felt for Talia was a desperate need to be with her. “I’m afraid.” His admission surprised him because he hadn’t been planning to say that. He’d planned to say something flirty to keep things moving in the right direction. Getting Talia naked was one of his top priorities, but what he felt for her scared him.
“Why are you afraid?” she asked.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he admitted.
Talia reached across the table and placed both of her hands over one of his. His gaze moved to her hands. When he looked up at her, she was smiling at him. “Do you honestly think I’d let you hurt me?”
Drew didn’t respond.
“I know you have issues,” she began. “Aside from being annoyingly arrogant, you’re also a little crazy. I’m not going to give you some speech about how deep down you’re a really good guy, because we both know that’s bullshit.”
“Is this supposed to make me feel better?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m not trying to cheer you up,” she told him. “You don’t need me to lie to you. What you need is honesty. Even knowing all your issues, I still like you. While you may not be a completely good person, you aren’t a bad person, either.”
Drew nodded. “Are you going to get naked with me tonight?”
Talia laughed. “Only you could go from a serious talk to asking if I’m going to get naked with you.”
“Getting you naked is very serious to me,” he assured her.
Talia just shook her head.
“So, no to naked time?” he asked with a pout.
“How about if we eat our pizza first?” she suggested.
“I wasn’t suggesting we get naked here,” Drew told her. “I just meant after we’re done here, we can go back to my room for naked time.”
“Could we stop talking about naked time while we’re in a public place?” she asked.
“I promise to stop after you answer me,” he assured her.
“Maybe,” she replied.
“What if I get naked first?” he asked. “Will you get naked then?”
“Has anyone ever tried using a spray bottle to get you to behave?” she asked.
“Lydia suggested it before,” he admitted. “If you get my clothes all wet, then I’ll have to get naked.”
“You’re impossible,” she accused with a laugh.
“Impossibly sexy?” he teased. “Impossibly irresistible?”
She sighed. “I want to answer no to those questions, but I can’t deny my attraction to you. Against my better judgment, I do find you irresistible.”
Drew’s eyes darkened.
“Ugh! Now, you’re looking at me like that again.”
Drew grinned. While he was still afraid of hurting Talia, he couldn’t deny how much he enjoyed being around her.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Talia had come up with an excuse for needing to go to her room first, but Drew didn’t seem convinced. While out on their date, it hadn’t seemed strange to flirt and talk about being naked together. She’d been the one to suggest they stop for condoms. Drew hadn’t said anything. She’d expected a lewd comment or joke, but he’d simply bought a box of condoms and then driven her home. Now that they were back at Drew’s home, she was questioning the wisdom of moving to the next level.
She was back in her room, wondering if she should go to Drew’s room or not. They were definitely rushing things, but she wasn’t sure it mattered.
There was a soft knock on the door. Figuring Drew had come to her room, she smiled and opened the door.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Mason.
“I came to talk to you,” he replied. “First, I went to the vampire’s room, but he told me you were here.”
“Why’d you go to Drew’s room first?” she asked.
“You’ve been sleeping with him,” Mason pointed out.
“We’re not having sex,” she insisted. “Not yet.”
“I know,” Mason told her. “How are you planning to work that?”
“Are you really asking me to explain sex to you?” she teased, stepping back to let Mason into her room.
Mason walked past her and sat in one of the armchairs by the window. “Don’t be a smartass. I’m still pissed at you.”
Talia snorted. “You’ll get over it. We both know me acting as bait is a smart move.”
Mason glared at her for a minute before continuing. “Your vampire knows hunters can’t get pregnant.”
Talia moved to stare out the window before responding. “Drew knows what I am.”
“You told him?” Mason demanded. “We agreed it’s safest for you if people don’t know, especially the vampires.”
“I didn’t tell him,” she snapped, turning to glare at him. “Drew figured it out on his own—most of it, anyway. There’s still plenty he doesn’t know.”
Mason put both hands over his eyes and leaned his head back. “This is my fault. I thought involving the vampires would help, but it was a mistake.”
“No, it wasn’t a mistake,” she argued. “This affects them, too. They also may be able to help us identify and locate the vampires involved. Without Phoenix’s help, we’d probably still be chasing Shayla around. Even if none of that were true, I like Drew, and I’m glad he knows.”
“Talia,” he began with a sad sigh. “You’re my sister. Maybe not by blood, but we grew up together. I can’t let anything happen to you.”
“What do you think will happen if there’s a war?” she asked. “That’s where things are headed if we don’t find the people involved. This can’t be all about protecting me. There are other people involved.”
“I know,” Mason agreed with a frustrated sigh. “I’m not thinking straight. All I can think about is keeping my little sister safe. The idea of you acting as bait terrifies me.”
Talia smiled and knelt in front of Mason. “Ah, Mase, you are such a pussy.”
He let out a startled bark of laughter. “Why do you always have to turn serious shit into a joke?”
“I don’t always do it,” she argued. “I just can’t help myself when you act like this. Seriously, stop. I’m trained as a hunter. My purpose is to protect people from dangerous vampires. In this case, I’m also protecting them from dangerous hunters.”
“You’re right,” he agreed. “I didn’t think I’d be so worried about you all the time.”
“You’re a good brother, even if you are a pain in the ass,” she told him.
“How are things going with the vampire?” he asked. “Did he do something stupid when you went out with him?”
Talia stood and laughed. “Of course, he did something stupid. You’ve been around Drew enough to know he says things even more inappropriate than you do.”
“Is that why you’re not in his room?” Mason asked.
“I had a great time with Drew,” she admitted. “I always have a great time with him, even when I want to smack the hell out of him. He’s been really open about who he is and all his fears.”
“But you haven’t told him everything,” Mason finished for her.
“Not yet, and I don’t know if I will,” she told him. “Can someone like me even have a relationship?”
“It’s hard for hunters,” Mason replied as he stood and began pacing the room. “We’re raised to be distant from people.”
“That isn’t what I meant, and you know it,” she said with a huff. “I’m not a vampire or a hunter. I’m something else.”
Mason stopped pacing. “You’re both. You were raised as a hunter. We aren’t naturally inclined to shy away from emotional attachments. No one is like that naturally. It’s just how we’re trained to be. I think we’re better than a lot of hunters because our parents didn’t act as distant around us.”
Talia nodded
her agreement. Mason’s parents also had two other children, both breeders. In most hunter families, all the attention was given to the breeder children. They were loved and nurtured, while the hunters were mostly left on their own. Mason’s parents were naturally loving people. She’d never doubted they loved her or Mason.
“So, why are you here?” he asked.
“We’re staying with the vampires temporarily,” she replied, intentionally misunderstanding his question.
“Stop pretending you don’t know what I’m asking,” he told her. “You want to be with the vampire, so why are you in this room?”
“Are you seriously encouraging me to get involved with Drew?” she asked.
“I don’t want to,” Mason told her. “It seems dangerous for you to get involved with him, but you really like him. Hunters are supposed to be alone, but we both know you’re more than a hunter.”
“Drew is so obnoxious,” she said with a laugh. “At times, I wonder how anyone puts up with him. I wonder how I put up with him. If I hadn’t grown up with you, I might not have the patience.”
“Hey!” Mason interrupted her. “What are you trying to say about me?”
“You already know you’re obnoxious,” she told him.
Mason grinned. “Women are charmed by me.”
Talia snorted. “You just fuck women who are either desperate or stupid.”
“I could have had Doc Vamp’s hot wife if I’d met her first,” he argued. “I would have married that girl.”
“Caitlin is too smart to put up with you,” Talia insisted.
Without warning, Mason pulled her into a hug.
She immediately hugged him back. “Why are you hugging me?”
“Because I love you, Talia,” he replied. “I want you to be happy and safe. Go find your vampire, and I promise not to kick his ass the next time I see him.”
Talia snorted and pulled away. “He may be smaller than you, but something tells me Drew would be a real challenge if you ever fought him.”
“I may have to test that theory,” Mason mused. “Go see your vampire. We’ll talk more about the reasons you can’t act as bait tomorrow.”
Talia nodded. Mason wasn’t going to change her mind about her plan, but he was right about one thing; she should be with Drew instead of pacing her room and worrying if it was a huge mistake.
Chapter Thirty-Four
She wasn’t coming.
Drew tried not to be too disappointed, but it was hard. At Zachary’s, he’d really believed they were making progress. The only conclusion he could come up with was that he’d been too genuine. His reasoning for not reining in his crude psycho side centered around wanting her to know the real him. He didn’t want to pretend around Talia. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he stripped out of his clothes and started toward the bathroom to shower. There, he planned to relieve some of the tension he was dealing with.
He was tempted to ignore the knock on his door.
“What do you want?” he called out, not sorry for sounding short.
“Let me in and I’ll tell you,” Talia called back.
“Hold on,” Drew replied before grabbing clean boxers, so he wouldn’t send Talia running by answering the door with his dick waving at her.
When he opened the door, Talia was standing there, still dressed in the clothes she’d had on earlier. “I guess you didn’t come for another sleepover,” he remarked as he stepped aside to let her in.
“What makes you say that?” she asked.
“You’re not wearing your pajamas,” he pointed out.
She gave him a smile filled with sensual promise—a smile that had his dick throbbing. “You told me I couldn’t wear clothes in your bed again.”
The breath hissed out between Drew’s teeth. He had to be dreaming. Giving himself a mental pep talk that involved warnings about not saying the wrong thing, he asked. “So, you’re here to have naked play time with me?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he groaned. “I wasn’t supposed to say that.”
Talia moved closer and put her hand on his cheek as she stared into his eyes. “Naked play time sounds fun.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Talia felt confident and in control when she told Drew she was there for naked play time.
“I’m dreaming, right?” he asked. “When I went into the shower to whack off, I fell and hit my head. This is some awesome dream I’m having while I bleed out in the shower.”
Talia wasn’t sure if she should laugh or smack him in the head. “Whack off? Did you really just tell me you were about to masturbate in the shower?”
“I just figured I had to be dreaming,” he explained.
Reaching out, Talia pinched his nipple hard. “Ouch! Why’d you do that?”
“Do you still think you’re dreaming?” she asked.
He rubbed his nipple and shook his head. “I don’t usually dream about having women try to rip my nipple off.”
“Don’t be such a baby about it,” she told him. “I barely touched you.”
His eyes locked with hers before drifting down to her mouth. “I want to taste you.”
Closing the distance between them, Talia placed her hands on Drew’s chest. He said nothing, just looked down at her as if waiting for something. “Are you going to kiss me?” she finally asked.
Drew responded by cupping her face in his hands before slowly moving in to cover her mouth. The kiss was unexpectedly sweet and gentle. His fingers from one hand tangled in her hair, while the other moved down to grip her hip and pull her closer. Talia’s hands moved up Drew’s shoulders and slid around his neck. Drew deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding past her lips to stroke hers. The moan that slipped past Talia’s lips was impossible to hold back as her arousal continued to build.
When Drew broke the kiss, his lips remained close to hers as he spoke. “Do you have any idea what I want to do to you?”
“I have a good idea,” she replied. “I want you, too.”
“Are you sure about this?” he asked.
“Don’t,” she told him.
“Don’t what?” he asked before brushing his lips against hers.
“Don’t ruin this by talking about all the things we’re both worried about or worrying that I’ll change my mind. There’s no perfect situation, not for people like us. We like each other. Stop trying to write some tragic end before we even get to have a beginning.”
“That was very poetic,” Drew told her with a smile.
“You’re right,” she admitted with a shudder. “Don’t ever tell anyone I said anything that sappy.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” he murmured just before he claimed her mouth again. That kiss was nothing like the first. Drew’s tongue swept past her lips to explore her mouth, as his hands moved to cup her ass and pull her closer to his erection. Talia’s nails dug into his shoulders, and he groaned into her mouth.
Mind clouded with lust, Talia had no clue when Drew had unfastened her bra. She only realized it when his hand slid under her shirt to cup one of her breasts. His thumb brushed against her hard nipple, making her whimper into his mouth.
When Drew broke the kiss again, they were both breathless and needy. “Take your shirt off,” Drew rasped out.
The part of Talia that would normally insist she didn’t take orders from any man had obviously short-circuited, because she simply nodded and slipped her shirt over her head before dropping it onto the floor. Drew slid her bra off and tossed it behind him. Leaning forward, he stroked her nipple with his tongue. They both moaned at the contact. His tongue continued to swirl around her sensitive nipple until Talia was gripping his hair to pull him closer.
“Please,” she begged. “I need more.”
“I’ll give you whatever you need as long as I can keep touching you,” Drew murmured. Not giving her time to respond, he drew her nipple into his mouth and suckled it. Desire coursed through her body.
Talia clutched Drew’s hair as he teased her oversensitive nipples unt
il she was whimpering with need.
Without removing his mouth from her nipple, Drew reached between them to undo her pants. One hand slid inside her panties, and he hissed out, “You’re so wet.”
Drew quickly stood and lifted her in his arms, cradling her against his chest.
“I’m too big to be carried around like Scarlet O’Hara,” she argued.
“I need to get you in my bed now before I end up taking you on the floor,” he explained in the few strides it took to get to his bed. “Our first time should be in a comfortable bed.”
He set her on the bed and tugged at her pants. Talia looked down at her shoes and laughed as she kicked out of them, sending them flying off the end of the bed.
Drew’s gaze moved down her naked body. “Blonde,” he murmured, trailing one finger along her slit in a feather-light touch. “I should have guessed.”
Not giving her a chance to reply, Drew moved between her legs and ran his tongue along her thigh. He stopped just short of her core before moving on to her other thigh. This time, when he got closer, his fingers spread her so his tongue could swirl around her opening. Talia arched off the bed, trying to get closer to his mouth as he teased her with the lightest of strokes.
“You taste so good,” he murmured. “I want to spend the next hour savoring you. I want this to last.”
“Please, Drew,” she panted out as his tongue swirled around her opening again. “I can’t take anymore teasing.”
“But I like playing with you,” he uttered just before he sucked her clit into his mouth.
Talia nearly screamed from pleasure. A growl came from deep in his throat. His tongue moved more urgently against her, finally giving in to her need. His hands gripped her hips and held her in place when she began to writhe against his face. Drew was fully controlling her pleasure, and she loved it. Talia had never believed herself the type to let any man take charge in bed, but giving her pleasure over to Drew felt natural.
“You taste so fucking good,” Drew uttered. “I want to make you come hard while you scream my name.”
“I don’t scream,” she panted out just before he sucked her clit into his mouth again, trapping it as he strummed it with his tongue. Her whimpers were loud and desperate.
Wicked Crazy Vampire Love (Psy-Vamp Book 7) Page 15